Wuv, Twue Wuv, Will Fowow You Foweva

Brilliant.

Shoes Fit For Exam Time

I should wear these dark beauties these to terrify my students at exam time!

The Washington Post Jumps the Shark

You all know that I appreciate beautiful shoes as much as the next girl, but really, Washington Post?  When we have Scandal-a-palooza blowing up all around us on multiple fronts, with ramifications for everything from press freedom to foreign policy, this is what you print?  

I personally don't give a good gorram if this person, as the news story drools, "wears Manolo Blahniks and Christian Louboutins into the Oval Office."   She is not Carrie Bradshaw, and this is not Sex and the City: White House Edition.

I am pleased to note, though, that when I read the story, the very first reader comment on the bottom was this:

6:55 PM EDT
Without a doubt, the stupidest piece I've ever read in the Washington Post.

Stupid with a side of sexism.  All together now to the WaPo: PFFFFFFFTTTTTTT!!!!!

Go Barefoot Already

You all know that I love shoes, but ... DO NOT WANT!

#12, though, looks like something Galadriel would wear to the Middle Earth Prom or something.

Forgotten History: Guys and High Heels

Once upon a time, the ladies weren't the only ones who loved high heels. OK, as long as we don't go back to this!

LOL: Shoes For an Apex Predator

Who needs (or even wants) kitten heels when you could have T-Rex ones instead?  Can you imagine me wearing these babies to my next Nerdmoot?  I love how you can't see them as they are coming at you.  RAWR!

"Standing Like A Girl" Only Works If (A) You're A Girl and (B) You're Wearing Awesome Heels

That's my response to this.  OK, we all know that posture matters in public speaking.  Now I don't care if I sound "sexist" or whatever, so here's my bit of advice: If you're stuck at a podium, guys, you shouldn't put up a foot because it looks stupid and sloppy.  Nobody should, really, because it's a fidget.  

BUT if you're a girl, you can get away with it once a speech/presentation 

• if you're wearing beautiful heels (and preferably have good ankles and/or great stems) and 
• if you do it slowly and gracefully and 
• if you don't also slouch or break eye contact with the audience.

I've done it myself on occasion for the simple reason that high heels can be uncomfortable and it helps sometimes to shift your weight on those teetering structures.  But having said that, I freely admit that it's not fair and it's gendered and all, but if you're a guy in wingtips, you should not do this.  (Besides, you don't have the "high heels hurt" reasoning.  What's your excuse?)

Fugly or Fabulous? Custom-Painted Shoes

WEARABLE ART!

Fugly or Fabulous? DIY Comic Book Heels

Whatever else they may be, these heels certainly are eye-catching!  (I'm not sure about the red stockings, though.)  Here are the instructions to make these mad shoes. 

Great Moments in Research: Judge a Woman By Her Shoes

No, really!  Some people from Wellesley and the University of Kansas actually did research on this!  Here's the actual journal publication information.  I kid you not.  So apparently you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a girl by her shoes.  (Hmmm, I just bought some adorable strappy cork wedge sandals on sale.  What does that say about me?)

Nerd Journal: In the spring a young woman's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of shoes ... and Nerdmoots

"Thoughts of love"?  Nay, my friend.  What a cliché.  (Sorry, Tennyson.)  Thoughts of shoes, though.  SHOES.  It's been a long winter.  Technically, it still is winter, or at least in Nerdworld, it's still freezing, and I'm still in boots.  That's OK, though, because it's March now, and sooner or later, warmer days will come.  This means I'm (a) looking for the season's first robin (nothing yet!), and (b) starting to think longingly of awesome non-winter shoes.  The spring is Nerdmoot season, and I (and Ladybird too!) have several to attend.  I intend to go dressed to kill.  I might be a nobody in the profession, but that doesn't mean that I have to dress like a nobody.

So, on that note, I am thinking about splurging on these beauties:

Cinderella at the Nerdmoot.

What do you think?  Fugly or fabulous?  I am thinking of wearing them with a nice colorful shift or sheath dress. Maybe a bright green or blue (like this?), or maybe a light shade of anything.  No boring dark gray/black/brown/navy business skirt or pant suits for me, nosirreebob.  The fact that I'll be giving a paper about dead people doesn't mean that I have look dead myself, does it?  NO, IT DOESN'T.  So Mama needs some new shoes.  As a friend of mine says of such hypothetical footwear, they're "shoes to kick @$$ in" (or "with," depending).  

Movie Madness: Product Placement

Well, whaddyaknow?  Here's an entire blog dedicated to product placement in movies.  The Cine-Sib and I love picking out product placement when we're at the movies, and this is just going to make it even more interesting.  I should note, though, that in 2011's "Crazy Stupid Love,"  I was much more struck by its (hilariously) negative depictions of New Balance sneakers and the Gap.  Of course, there's no such thing as bad publicity? (There is also, of course, no such thing as a bad reason to blog about Ryan Gosling either when he's wearing that gorgeous outfit.  Look, Barney Stinson has a point when he insists that guys should always wear a good suit.  But I digress.)

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Fugly or Fabulous? LED Shoe Clips

Hmmmm.

Twinkle toes.

Fugly or Fabulous? A Geisha Print Skirt

I admit to being absolutely fascinated!  Wearable art!  If it were up to me, I wouldn't wear opaque black tights with it, but I would wear a simple black, crimson, or white top and some awesome black shoes, elegant and understated, not the clunky weird things in the photo.

Fugly or ... REALLY Fugly? The Lorissa Pump by Sam Edelman

You know I love shoes.  You know I love "Fugly or Fabulous" blog posts about footware and fashions and how different people can have different tastes.  One person's fugly might be another's fabulous.  BUT.  Who (OK, besides Lady Gaga) would pay $200 bucks for these crazy things and wear them?  You'd end up shredding your own ankles!

Fashion Faux Pas? Plus Accidental Rant

Well, I like the bit about the history of clothes in the US, but as for the mini-jeremiad about how immoral current purchasing trends are ... Look at this:

In 1930, the average American woman owned an average of nine outfits. Today, we each buy more than 60 pieces of new clothing on average per year. Our closets are larger and more stuffed than ever, as we've traded quality and style for low prices and trend-chasing. 

Fugly or Fabulous? Shoes for a Warrior Queen

Wow!  Crazy, yet ... crazy awesome.  From Hong Kong.

Dyed in the blood of my slain foes.

Also go comfortably from the office to dinner at a nice restaurant!

Fugly or Fabulous? Wedge-Heel Rain Boots

Rain boots with some ... style?  What?

Singin' in the rain.

Fugly or Fabulous: Confections? Shoes? Both?

Eye candy -- though totally impractical.

Fugly or Fabulous? Purple Mary Janes

What do you think?   Something to bright up all those dark-colored autumn/winter skirts?  A little more sassy fun than plain flats?